Method and apparatus for preventing a set of users from accessing a message in an instant messaging system

Abstract

The illustrative embodiments described herein provide a computer-implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for preventing a set of users from accessing a message in an instant messaging system. The process determines whether a message received by a receiving computing device from a sending computing device is undetected by a set of users associated with the receiving computing device. The process notifies the sending computing device that the message is undetected by the set of users in response to determining that the message is undetected by the set of users associated with the receiving computing device. The process prevents the set of users from accessing the message in response to receiving a request to prevent the set of users from accessing the message.

1 . A computer-implemented method for managing messages in an instant messaging system, comprising:
 determining whether a message received by a receiving computing device from a sending computing device is undetected by a set of users associated with the receiving computing device;   responsive to determining that the message is undetected by the set of users associated with the receiving computing device, notifying the sending computing device that the message is undetected by the set of users; and   responsive to receiving a request to prevent the set of users from accessing the message, preventing the set of users from accessing the message.   
   
   
       2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein preventing the set of users from accessing the message, further comprises:
 preventing the set of users from accessing the message on a graphical user interface.   
   
   
       3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein preventing the set of users from accessing the message on the graphical user interface further comprises:
 removing the message from the graphical user interface.   
   
   
       4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the message is undetected by the set of users further comprises:
 detecting an absence of the set of users at the receiving computing device.   
   
   
       5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the absence is detected based on user data that is acquired by a visual sensing device. 
   
   
       6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein the absence is detected based on user data that is acquired by an audio sensing device. 
   
   
       7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4 , wherein detecting an absence of the set of users at the receiving computing device further comprises:
 detecting the absence of a mobile device carried by the set of users.   
   
   
       8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the message is undetected by the set of users further comprises:
 identifying a physical orientation of the set of users; and   determining that the message is undetected by the set of users based on the physical orientation.   
   
   
       9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the message is undetected by the set of users further comprises:
 detecting a location and a movement of a mobile device carried by the set of users; and   determining that the message is undetected by the set of users based on the location and the movement.   
   
   
       10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , wherein the location and the movement are detected using bluetooth. 
   
   
       11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the message is undetected by the set of users further comprises:
 determining that the message is not displayed on a graphical user interface on the receiving computing device.   
   
   
       12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein determining that the message is not displayed on the graphical user interface on the receiving computing device further comprises:
 determining that a graphical display for the instant messaging system is not displayed on the graphical user interface.   
   
   
       13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the notifying is in response to a message status request from the sending computing device. 
   
   
       14 . A computer program product comprising:
 a computer-usable medium having computer-usable program code for managing messages in an instant messaging system, the computer program product comprising:   computer-usable program code for determining whether a message received by a receiving computing device from a sending computing device is undetected by a set of users associated with the receiving computing device;   computer-usable program code, responsive to determining that the message is undetected by the set of users associated with the receiving computing device, for notifying the sending computing device that the message is undetected by the set of users; and   computer-usable program code, responsive to receiving a request to prevent the set of users from accessing the message, for preventing the set of users from accessing the message.   
   
   
       15 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the computer-usable program code for preventing the set of users from accessing the message on the graphical user interface further comprises:
 computer-usable program code for removing the message from the graphical user interface.   
   
   
       16 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein determining that the message is undetected by the set of users further comprises:
 computer-usable program code for detecting an absence of the set of users at the receiving computing device.   
   
   
       17 . The computer program product method of  claim 14 , wherein determining that the message is undetected by the set of users further comprises:
 computer-usable program code for determining that the message is not displayed on a graphical user interface on the receiving computing device.   
   
   
       18 . A data processing system comprising:
 a bus system;   a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and   a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to determine whether a message received by a receiving computing device from a sending computing device is undetected by a set of users associated with the receiving computing device; notify the sending computing device that the message is undetected by the set of users in response to determining that the message is undetected by the set of users associated with the receiving computing device; and prevent the set of users from accessing the message in response to receiving a request to prevent the set of users from accessing the message.   
   
   
       19 . The data processing system of  claim 18 , wherein in determining that the message is undetected by the set of users, the processing unit further executes the set of instructions to:
 detect an absence of the set of users at the receiving computing device.   
   
   
       20 . The data processing system of  claim 18 , wherein in determining that the message is undetected by the set of users, the processing unit further executes the set of instructions to:
 determine that the message is not displayed on a graphical user interface on the receiving computing device.